Friday, January 8, 2016

Urban Eats: Part 1

What is Urban Eats? It's a magical place where you can find everything your tummy desires! I'm kidding.. well, sort of. Urban Eats is a food hub located along Congressional Avenue Extension that offers a wide range of food choices - from Filipino to Japanese, appetizers to desserts - they have it all!

I've decided to divide my post into two parts so it doesn't get too overwhelming, because they have SO MANY DISHES! Please bear with me as I guide you through our fun foodie experience.. starting now!

From being a quiet space during the day, Urban Eats transforms into a barkada chill out spot at night. The parking in the area becomes increasingly difficult the later it gets, so I suggest coming early or you might end up having to park a good 5-10 minutes away.
That doesn't seem to be an issue to most people though, because Urban Eats is definitely a place worth going to, especially if you want to try new dishes. The stalls here are mostly startups, which I've always been a supporter of. Instead of spending your money on overpriced dishes from huge chain restaurants or corporations, wouldn't it be nicer to buy from small businesses and know that you've helped bring them one step closer to their dreams? I think so.
Here's a quick look at some of the stalls at Urban Eats.I found out that the Urban Eats is actually owned by the people behind Fariñas Ilocos Empanada. I got to try their empanada for the first time that day, and it was so good! More on it later!
Good thing I was able to get a quick look of the place before the happy chaos that ensued. Check out the photo below. The place was jampacked! Apparently, Saturdays are acoustic nights, so people come not only for the food, but for the music as well!
How about some live acoustic sessions while you eat? It's the perfect way to spend your chill Saturday, especially if you have friends who enjoy eating as much as you do.

We started off with WYK Korean Restaurant's offerings - the Samgyeopsal, Spicy Pork, and Bulgogi. I found the Samgyeopsal overwhelming at first because we were served four plates of different things, I honestly didn't know where to begin! But with some guidance, I survived. Haha! Seriously though, their items are a must-try if you're into Korean cuisine since their chef is actually Korean.
Next, we headed over to Nihon Riyori to try out their specialties! They have dishes like the Spicy Salmon Tartare, Ebi Poppers, Bacon-wrapped Tuna Yakitori, Nihon Bun, and Beef Misono Wrap which you can see below. What I like about this stall is how they innovated their dishes. They're not your usual Japanese restaurant or stall that serve traditional items like sushi rolls or ramen. I'd definitely pay them another visit since their food is not only delicious, but affordable as well.
Only one stall sells drinks here and they're called Quench. We got their Blue Margarita (served in a mason jar), Fish Bowl Iced Tea to share, and the Beer Float which turned out sweeter than I expected - not that I'm complaining, I've never been a huge fan of bitter beer.
Another establishment we got to try was Valentina's located right in front. They have items like Chicken Lettuce Cup, Hainanese Chicken, and my favorite, the Scallops Florentine! Is it just me or does everything sound super healthy?
As I mentioned earlier, Urban Eats is owned by Fariñas Ilocos Empanada, so naturally, they'd have a stall here too. I really, really liked their Empanada Special, especially with the vinegar sauce. Even though we were already full at this point, we still managed to devour every single piece of this. Would I eat this again? Totally.
Other dishes they offer include the following: Pancit Bagnet, Longganisa Pizza, Special Miki, and Longganisang Hubad. Everyone went crazy for the pizza!
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Don't forget to check out Part 2 of my Urban Eats adventure featuring Joey's BBQ and Grill, Hungry Knights, Taqueria Manolo Y Margarita, Crazy Waffles, Fratello's, and Babita here.

Urban Eats is located at 71 Congressional Avenue Extension, Quezon City.
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